Harry Is The Best Hope We Have- Trust Him
by LunaNotLoony
Summary: While Harry is off on the Horcrux hunt, Ginny, Neville and Luna set up Dumbledore's Army again and rebel against Snape and the Carrows. They have to trust that Harry will rescue them, and as they hope, they're friendship grows stronger. And for some of them, something more. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**A/N: There's a surprising small amount of fics on Ginny, Neville's and Luna's time at Hogwarts when Harry was off fighting particularly ones which are more than one-or-two-shots, so I thought I'd write one.**

The wind caught in Ginny Weasely's hair, throwing it across her face. She was standing, silhouetted against the sky, arms crossed, dragging her shoes through the oozing mud, and flicking it away again. Rain plopped steadily against her mackintosh, and her fiery red hair. Her coat had slid off her shoulders, but the girl didn't seem to care.

"Ginny! Ginny!"

Turning, she saw a figure hurrying through the rain, their cloak pulled up over their head. He had a round, good-natured face, but he wasn't smiling.

"There you are, Ginny!" Neville Longbottom burst out, stumbling and floundering in the knee-high mud. "Golly, you're wet!"

"Really," Ginny said, rolling her eyes, and smiling for the first time. "We have just been told that muggle-borns aren't allowed back, that Snape- Snape- is headmaster, and Harry Potter is" (She rolled her eyes again) "Evil or something. Seriously, Neville, you say, 'golly you're wet.'"

Neville laughed.

"And you're standing in a bog, Ginny, did you notice?" Neville said.

"So are you," Ginny reminded him, gently picking her way out of the mud, and Neville followed her, and together, they they walked away from the swirling black lake, the only noise the squelching of their boots, and the stead sheet of rain hitting the ground. In silence, they walked round the castle, each lost in their own thought.

"I wonder what Harry's doing now?" Ginny said, staring hopefully at Neville, as if he knew the answers, when in fact, she was the one who knew more. But 'more' didn't mean much right now. All Ginny knew about the boy she had crushed on since she was ten, the boy who had saved her life in the Chamber of Secrets, her brother's best friend, the boy she'd fought alongside in the Department of mysteries, the boy she'd kissed passionately a few weeks ago, was that he was trying to kill Voldemort. And, apart from that, Ginny knew nothing at all.

"You're still in love with him, aren't you?" Neville asked, pacing round the edge of the forest.

"Well, yeah, I've loved him for six years, I'm not likely to stop now, am I?" Ginny snapped, running to keep up with Neville. "Frankly, what girl wouldn't?"

Neville laughed, though Ginny hadn't meant it as a joke at all.

"I wish I was with him, right now," Neville said, and there was a hint of bitterness in his voice. "I wish I could really help- I'm not stupid like I was before. Ron and Hermione are so lucky... and it's not even like Ron-." He trailed off, glancing at Ginny, remembering with a jolt that she was Ron's sister, but his unsaid words hung in the air.

Ginny sighed, and collapsed on a creaking, worm infected wooden bench, throwing her coat onto the ground. Pausing, Neville turned, then swept a puddle of murky water off the bench, and sat down beside her, pressing against her body for warmth. Neither of them asked why they didn't just go back inside, because they both knew that though it was cold, wet, and muddy out here, the Carrows or Snape weren't here, and besides, it was nice to be alone.

"Chocolate?" Neville asked, producing two rather crumpled chocolate frogs, and unwrapping one. Ginny, who was glowering through the rain, at the distant castle, either didn't hear him, or didn't think it was worth an answer.

"Oh, come on, Ginny, it'll make you feel better..." Neville said dully, pulling out the card, and slipping into his pocket.

At this, Ginny seemed to be awoken from her daydream. Jumping to her feet so fast, it was like the seat had been electrocuted, rounded on Neville, her eyes blazing.

"Come ON, Neville, we're leaving!" she shrieked, grabbing his arm so furiously, the chocolate frogs flew from his hand.

"Are we?" said Neville, lurching to his feet. "Um, wh- oh right."

For Ginny had thrust her arm forward, pointing towards the castle, where two figures could be seen walking briskly towards them, pointing forwards, at them.

"So what are we doing wrong, now, then!?" Ginny exploded, striding forward to meet them. "It's illegal to go outside now, is it, CARROW!?"

"Ginny!" Neville hissed, appalled. "Wait... don't be stupid... Ginny!"

"Going to arrest us for going into the grounds now, are you!" Ginny shouted, drawing her wand.

"What are you two doing outside, in this weather?" the male Carrow shouted. "Plotting and-."

"Oh right!" Ginny screamed. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't you dare-." began Alecto furiously, but Ginny was beyond reason.

"Yeah, I dare!" Ginny snapped, suddenly breathless. "You- you evil, you evil-."

"Detention!" Amycus roared. "And- CRUCI-."

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Ginny yelled. "STUPIFY!"

"Ginny! Ginny!" Neville gasped. "Don't- they aren't worth it- Ginny, please!"

"Aren't worth it!" Ginny said, suddenly breathless, lunging to dodge two curses from each Carrow, and non-verbally firing a stream of hexes back. "Yeah, they're about as worth it as dry rot, I know, but they are NOT GOING TO DO THIS TO HOGWARTS! Neville, help!"

"Ginny- I don't think- GINNY!"

While Ginny had been talking, the Carrows had taken advantage of her split attention to throw a very dark curse at her. Ginny froze as it hit her between her eyes, her eyes widening, and for one terrible moment Neville thought the Carrows had killed her. But she wasn't, thank goodness. Only it was horrible. With a blood-curdling screech, she hit the ground, staining the mud a terrible dark red, as she writhed, choking, gasping and screaming.

"What have you done!" Neville moaned, slashing a stunner at Alecto, and he fell back, with a thump. "Put her right!"

"LONGBOTTOM!" Amycus roared. "You killed her!"

Neville didn't bother to put him right, but dropped to his knees, shaking her, trying to remember a spell to put her right. Amycus leant over his sister, muttering a spell to revive her, and he stumbled to his feet watching Neville distress with a sick pleasure.

The Carrow's eyes met, and they began to cackle.

**A/N: Reviews are always welcome... I don't mind constructive criticism. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"I just can't believe they could do that!" Seamus burst out. "It's- I mean, I knew they were-."

"Evil," said Ginny slowly. "They're evil."

"Yeah," Neville agreed, looking at the scars. "We can't just let them do this... We can't."

"Exactly," Seamus said miserably. "But what can we do?"

Shaking his head, Seamus got to his feet and walked out, looking deflated. However, Neville's eyes were wide, and he was grinning. And so was Ginny, her hazil eyes alight.

"Seamus wasn't..." Ginny trailed off.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking...?" Neville said slowly.

"I don't know," Ginny shot back. "'Are you thinking- we need to find Luna, quickly."

"Well, not exactly," Neville said breezily. "But I think I have the same basic idea, right?"

"Do you still have your DA coin!?" Ginny asked, her voice shaking with excitement.

"Yeah, yeah, I do," Neville gushed, as if, if they didn't finish their conversation within half a minute, Voldemort would get in Hogwarts.

"Same. And Luna?" Ginny said quickly.

"One way to find out," Neville said, practically stumbling over his words.

For the first time since Harry had kissed him, at the Burrow, Ginny felt good. Really good. Letting out a snort of laughter, the two turned abruptly on their feet, and began to run, hard, out the Gryfindor Common Room.

"What's the rush?" groaned the Fat Lady, as the two streaked out, slamming the portrait door, behind them. "Well, really..." she grumbled, as they charged into the distance. "They ought to show some basic respect. How'd they like it if I just abandoned my post, eh?"

But Ginny and Neville were running so fast they never heard the Fat Lady's reprimand.

"What if she's not there?" Neville panted, as they skidded to a halt outside the Ravenclaw Common Room, but his question was answered as Luna Lovegood sailed out, her dirty blonde sailing behind her.

"Oh, hello, Ginny and Neville," she said, looking completely unsurprised to find her two best friends standing out side her common room, sweating and grinning.

"Luna, we've got to go!" Neville interrupted, grabbing one arm, and Ginny snatched up another.

"That's OK," Luna said pleasantly, and radish earrings bobbed up and down as she spoke. "Where are we going?"

"Shhh, Luna, and- yeah, Ginny, where are we going?"

"To the old Room of Requirements, where else?" Ginny snapped.

"Oooh, are we starting the D.A again, then?" Luna asked. "I've still got my coin... look, I'm wearing it now."

"Wearing it?" Neville asked. "Where?"

"Uh, you're holding now," said Luna. "It's the galleon in my bracelet."

Looking down, Neville realised with a jolt that the cold metal shape that had been digging into his hand was the old golden galleon, still with the dates of the very last D.A meeting engraved round the edge. But it wasn't just the galleon there. Interested, Neville slid the bracelet off her wrist, and let it fall into Luna's hand. Carefully, Neville lifted Luna's hand, and peered up the strange gold, silver and bronze ring. As Neville studied it, he realised that it was very well made, and exceedingly complex, and, considering some of the tasteful junk Luna had sometimes worn, it was beautiful. It was made of seven real coins, two sickles on either side of the galleon, two knuts, and a sort of glasp a 50p and a £1 coin had been slotted together. Each coin was thread through what looked like a strange bronze rope that glistened mysteriously, illuminating curly writing. Kneeling down, so his eyes were level with the bracelet, which Luna let hang between her finger and thumb, he read the writing, and a sudden pang of affection for Luna hit him.

Neville.

Ginny.

Harry.

Hermione.

Ron.

"My name," Neville whispered. "You wrote my name..."

Luna flushed very slightly. "Do you like it?" she asked, smiling serenely.

"Yeah..." said Neville dreamily, sounding more like Luna than himself. "It's completely... yeah...it's beautiful... I-."

"Expensive, though, right?" Ginny joked, grinning, grabbing the bracelet and spinning it round.

"What- oh."

Neville grinned too, going slightly red. Somehow, he'd forgotten that Ginny was there.

"Anyway," said Ginny, briskly. "Oughtn't we to go to the room of requirements, now?"

"Oh, yes, of coarse," said Neville. "Come on, Luna."

Luna was looking at Neville very intently, her blue eyes wide and questioning.

"What are you waiting for, you two?" Ginny asked, looking round. "Are you coming or not?"

"There's no hurry, is there?" Luna said sweetly.

"Luna! Neville!" Ginny exploded. "Stop flirting! I've just been scarred with a curse that took me three days to recover from, so, please, can we get to the room of-."

"I wasn't flirting, Ginny," said Luna, her voice rising. "And can you give that back!"

"What? OK," Ginny asked, passing over the bracelet. "Keep your hair on."

"Thank you!" Luna snapped, her voice losing it's normal dreamy quality. "And please don't ruin other people's property- you could have broken it."

Then, Luna snatched up the bracelet and stormed away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"What did I do?" Ginny asked, watching Luna storm away. "I didn't mean anything."

Neville shrugged, and Ginny swung round to look at him. "Oh, don't you pull a silent, if-you-don't-know-what-you-did-wrong-I'm-not-going -to-tell-you act," she snapped. "C'mon, Neville, it was just a joke, and you were flirting..."

"I think," Neville said, slowly, a strange smile flickering over his face. "I think, Luna actually fancies me."

"And you fancy her back?" Ginny asked eagerly.

Neville shrugged. He wasn't quite sure. Who would have thought Luna Lovegood, weirdo, would actually fancy him. Somehow, it was a nice feeling to know that she liked him. Nobody normally would look twice at podgy faced, accident prone, comical Neville Longbottom, particularly not beside Harry Potter, the boy who lived. But someone, even if that someone was considered even more comical than him, fancied him. Perhaps he even liked her back. After all, she was quite pretty, and she was kind and a good friend. If Luna really did fancy him, then Neville would really enjoy spending some time with her. Neville had never a girlfriend before.

"Do you?" Ginny pressed.

"I- maybe," Neville said. "Look, give her a bit of time, then aplogise, won't you?"

"Yes, of course," Ginny agreed at once. "I didn't really mean to upset her. And- Neville?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, what about the D.A?"

Neville paused. "Do you remember about a year ago, in the Department of Mysteries?"

"Obviously..." Ginny sighed. "That was the first time Harry looked at more as more than Ron's little sister."

A wan smile fell over Ginny's face, like a shadow, but when Neville looked up, trying to stop the dark, sad look on her face, it had gone.

"I love him," she whimpered, running a hand through her hair. "Neville, you wouldn't understand, but I really do."

Neville knew what she meant. He wouldn't understand, of course, when the closest he'd ever come to a date was stamping on Ginny's feet, at the Yule Ball. It made him slightly bitter that Ginny had abondoned him so quickly, and even hooked up with Micheal Corner. By now, he understood that he might not be as 'cool' as Micheal, but it didn't matter because he didn't care. What was so good about being cool anyway? Neville had friends, good friends, and he was ready to fight Voldemort.

And Snape and the Carrows, because they were evil. Completely evil.

There was another person Neville wanted to face again, the person who had ruined alot of his life. Bellatrix Lestrange. He hated her as much as Voldemort himself.

"I love him," said Ginny, her voice growing stronger. "Hell, Neville, I love so much it actually hurts, you know."

"Erm," Neville agreed, trying to sound sympathetic and yet not actually encourage her to keep talking.

But Ginny seemed to have forgotten he was there completely, and she was shaking uncontrollably. With a choked gasp, Ginny slid to the floor, burying her head in her knees. Horrified, Neville rushed to stand beside her, akwardly patting her on the back. Ginny wasn't usually emotional at all. When she raised her head, Neville could see that, through the messy dark red curtain of hair, that she wasn't crying. Sweat was running down her forehead, and her hands were clamped into fists.

"Gin-Ginny?" Neville whispered. "Are- are you all right?"

"Yeah," Ginny muttered. "It's just- I miss him, you know."

"He'll come back," Neville promised. "He'll come back, and stop Snape; I know you will."

"What if he doesn't, though?" Ginny asked, vigorously wiping her eyes. "What if- if V-Voldemort k-k-k."

"Don't, Ginny!" Neville begged. "Please, don't."

"Sorry," Ginny said. "I'm just scared for him. It's hard, you know, being in love with someone who's trying to defeat V-Voldemort."

"Well, aren't we all?" Neville quibbed.

"Yeah," Ginny said, getting to her feet. "We all are."

**A/N: I know my chapter are getting shorter, but soon they'll get longer. Anyway, I've just post three chapters in one night, including working out how the hell you use this website (this is my first fanfic), so you can't really complain... And a review would make me smile, even if you say it's rubbish, as long as you say why!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Warning: minor swearing**

**Disclaimer: I just realised I haven't been doing disclaimers. OK, all Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowlings, sadly. I do not own this story. This is just my idea of fun, JKR.**

"I'm going to find Luna!" Ginny announced, rubbing her eyes, so hard they seemed quite bloodshot.

"What, now?" Neville said.

"Yeah, now."

"Aren't- aren't you going to give her a bit of time?" Neville said cautiously. "I mean- if she does fancy me, and you embarrassed her-."

"I just cannot be bothered!" Ginny interrupted. "Luna's one of my best friends! Why should we fall out over something so stupid! I mean, really!"

"Well, um, OK," Neville said finally, pleased that Ginny wanted to find Luna, but slightly shaken at her sudden change. "That good, but, yeah, OK!"

"We can't fall, Neville!" Ginny exploded. "You can't start to squabble over things like this; remember the Sorting Hat's song. We've got to stick together. I don't think I could bear it if I didn't have you and Luna, not when Harry's gone!"

"So you could bear it if Harry was here?" Neville said in a low, flat voice. "Thanks a lot."

"I- I didn't mean that," Ginny said, her voice deflating too. "Sorry."

"It's all right," Neville sighed. Ginny was right. They had to stick together. Neville couldn't afford to lose Ginny or Luna, really he couldn't.

"No, I really am," Ginny said. "It's just... I've hardly ever been without Harry, even if he ignored me... he was always visiting in the summer, and I love him, but if you went, seriously, I'd miss you a lot."

"Not as much as you'd miss famous Harry Potter, right?" Neville said.

"Neville! That's not true!" Ginny protested. "I love you too, just in a different way."

"Less, you mean," Neville said.

"I- well- Neville, Harry- Is- My- Boyfriend! You're a friend. I would miss-."

"He's not actually," Neville interrupted. "Wonderful little Harry Potter didn't want you, Ginny. Didn't he dump you last year?"

There was a silence, where Ginny stared at Neville, thunderstruck.

"Oh, God," Neville said. "Oh God, oh god- look, Ginny-."

"What did you just say?"

Neville and Ginny swung round, looking into the laughing face of Alecto Carrow.

"So," he said. "Where is Harry Potter, Weasely, Longbottom?"

"Of we knew," Neville said. "We'd hardly tell you."

"But we don't," Ginny snapped. "So bog off, won't you?"

Ginny swung on her feet to glower at Neville too, so he knew he was included.

"We'll see how long you don't know where he is for, after this!" Carrow shouted. "Come with me now. Oh you don't! (For Ginny had drawn her wand, preparing to attack again) Expelliarmus!"

Their wands flew into his hand, and Alecto leered, before pocketing them.

Scowling, Ginny followed Alecto, her eyes never leaving his pocket. Normally, she would have been the first one to storm away, 'teacher' or not, but when he had her wand, that wasn't really an option.

"In here. Now!" Alecto barked, and shoved them inside a- well, dungeon. "And if you even think about leaving, you'll never see your wands again."

Smirking, Alecto pulled out Ginny wand, and twisted it back and forth. Instinctively, Ginny started forward to wrench it from his hands, horrified... He was threatening to break their wands. It was unheard of, the deepest disrespect. Without a wand, Ginny felt very vulnerable. Anyone could attack her, and she had no way- no way at all- to defend herself. Seeing Ginny's expression, Alecto burst out laughing, and left the dungeon, slamming the door behind him.

Without exchanging a word, and Ginny gave Neville a look of deepest loathing, they waited. Barely five minutes later, Alecto returned, this time with Crabbe and Goyle.

"What the hell are they doing here?!" Ginny burst out.

"These two, here, volunteered to... help me," Alecto sneered. Crabbe and Goyle sniggered trollishly. "Now, where is Harry Potter?"

"We don't know and wouldn't tell you if we did!" Neville and Ginny shouted in unison. They turned to look at each, grinning, eyebrows raised, and for a moment Neville thought Ginny was going to laugh. Then an angry closed look settled on her face, and she turned to look at Alecto.

"Do you really believe those idiots would persuade us to say where my- my-."

"You don't know what we're going to do yet," Alecto said.

Ginny smirked and lent back against the dungeon wall, arms crossed.

"Oh, bring it on, losers," she said, quite cheerfully.

Neville held back a laugh. Crabbe and Goyle looked dumbly disgruntled.

"Should we-?" one asked.

"Ever had 'Crucio' used on you, sweetie?" Alecto said.

"NOOO!" Neville yell shattered Ginny's anger. "NO, YOU CAN'T! IT'S ILLEGAL! AND- NO no- that's not funny," he finished, because Crabbe and Goyle were sniggering again. "It really isn't."

"Scared?" sneered Alecto.

"SHUT UP!" Ginny shouted, running to stand beside Neville.

"Ginny..." Neville said blankly. "Oh, Ginny, I'm sorry, 'bout-."

"Doesn't matter," Ginny said furiously. "Really, and I'm sorry too."

And she threw her arms around Neville's neck.

"Ginny..." Neville laughed. "Not now."

"Oh, who cares about them!" Ginny said dismissively.

"OY! This is detention!" Alecto shouted, chucking a jar of weird green floating things at their heads, which smashed at their feet, and began creeping towards them.

Laughing outright, Ginny skipped over them, slid on some wet stuff, and tripped and fell on her face, which ruined the cool attitude a bit.

Blushing, Ginny stumbled to her feet, at the same moment that Alecto chuckled, 'now'. Before she could straighten up, the curse hit her. Before, Ginny might have made out she didn't care what they threw at her, but that was before. Every inch of her body seemed to be exploding, on fire, it was if she was being stabbed again, again, only worse. She could only scream, it was pain beyond anything she had ever felt- she understood how you could be tortured to insanity. Right now, she just wanted to die.

And it was over.

She was lying, face forward, covered in the strange green stuff, breathless and choking. Her whole body was stinging, and her brain was fuzzy, light, the world was spinning...

"Where is Harry Potter?"

"I don't know! Honestly, I don't- fucking- know!"

"Crucio!"

"Tell me, unless-."

"Seriously, I haven't a clue, alright?"

"Crucio!"

"Crucio."

**A/N: This is my forth chapter and I would really like a review... I can take constructive critsim.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Luna?"

"Ginny?"

"Um, Luna..." Ginny began.

"You're trying to apologize, aren't you?" Luna said, looking up at Ginny with big, regretful

eyes.

Ginny laughed. "Yeah, yeah, Luna, I am."

"Don't," Luna said. "It's OK."

"Righhht," said Ginny, awkwardly. "well, right. And about the D.A..."

"Oh, do you know where Neville is?" Luna asked.

"Oh yes," Ginny said. "He's hiding behind that suit if armor, listening in."

"OY!" Neville said, jumping out from behind the armor.

"Hello, Neville."

"Yeah," Neville said. "We need to form the D.A and fast."

"Particularly urgent now?"

"Yes! You know those gorillas, Crabbe and Goyle, yeah?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Alecto- he got them to torture us! He was trying to make us tell them where Harry was! Once he

used truth potion, and still wouldn't tell, I think he gave up."

"He tortured you?" Luna repeated, appalled.

"Yeah, he tortured us," Neville repeated. "He was- it was- Luna, my parents were tortured. Into

insanity, you know."

"I'm sorry," Luna said. "Oh, Neville-."

Neville was staring into the distance, and his face was very pale.

"Neville?" Luna whispered, taking his hand. "That must be horrible..."

"It is," Neville said, his voice choked. "Its terrible. They- my parents- they don't recognise,

as their son. Sometimes, sometimes, they give me... Mum gives me wrappers, but- but...

"I hate it," Neville said, his voice cracking. "Hell, Luna, Ginny, I hate it. I really hate it.

Sometimes, sometimes, I wish, to God, I wish they'd just die. Get over with. Then, I feel awful,

because it isn't their fault, and I'm supposed to love them. Only- thanks to Voldemort, and to

Bellatrix Lestrange, they can't look after me. It's me who looks after them, and I can't even- I

love Gran, really but. God. I almost wish she'd killed them."

"No," Ginny said. "Don't say that, Neville. Seriously."

Neville shrugged, and smiled.

"We're all breaking down, aren't we?" he said, and though his tone was playful, it wasn't a

complete joke. "Ginny, me- Luna, if you ever want to cry, you know..."

"No, I'm alright, thanks," Luna said. "I'll save my tears for when I really need them."

Neville and Ginny laughed. Luna was very weird, and tough, but they needed her. She held them

together, like glue.

"No?" Neville teased. "Oh, come on, Luna, cry, you'll make us feel awkward when we start

sobbing."

"Yeah, we won't let you watch, next time."

"You can put down the guard for us, Loony."

"I'll consider it," Luna said.

Ginny was glad she was friends with Luna and Neville again, because things were getting worse.

Their torturing wasn't the last at all. It was becoming common, almost, to be chained up in the

dungeons for detentions, or tortured, so you felt like you'd rather have died. Ginny pitied the

first-years most of all, because after years of longing to go to Hogwarts, they got this. At

least, she could remember how Hogwarts used to be, but they, they must assume that this was

Hogwarts, all this blood and tears. Twice, she found a group of first years, little innocent

first years chained up, and covered in blood. It repulsed her, completely disgusted her, that

anyone could do that. For her, it was more than sick, it was cruel. But Hogwarts was cruel

nowadays. The first thing she did, when she saw anyone chained up, now, though, was glance

around. A few weeks previously, Ginny would have rushed to their aid, but now, and she hated

herself, she had to admit, she was scared. She didn't want to be tortured. And the thing which

terrified her more than anything else was that it was working, wasn't it; wasn't she was slowly

falling under Snape?

**A/N: Thanks to SkyLar97 to favorite-ing my story. ...If you've reached the fifth chapter, you _must_ like it a bit, so writing a one sentence review won't kill you, but it'll make me really happy. Please? This is my first fanfic; I don't mind constructive criticism . Please review?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer: No, I shall never own Harry Potter *sobs*, so this disclaimer counts for the whole story. JKR owns Harry Potter, not me. There.**

"Room of requirements- eight o'clock," Ginny repeated.

"What? What for?" Seamus asked, running forward to meet them.

"Oh yeah... you weren't part of it last time," Ginny said. "Look, I'll explain later."

"Just explain now!" Seamus said.

"Just be there, at eight o'clock."

"But I don't even know where the room of requirements is!" Seamus protested.

"Keep your voice down!" Ginny hissed. "Look, Seamus, you want to overthrow Snape, don't you?"

"Yeah!" Seamus agreed. "But-."

"Look go with Ernie McMillian?" Ginny snapped. "And tell anyone you can about it... well, anyone you'd trust, and not Marietta Edgecomb."

Then, she scooted off, leaving Seamus, wondering what the hell was going on.

At ten to eight, Ginny, Luna and Neville made their way to the room of requirements, glancing nervously back and forth at each other, each remember the last time they'd had a D.A meeting. It had ended in disaster, and they were all lucky to have not been expelled. Pacing the corridor outside, where the door would materialize, looking anxiously around, should any of the Carrows' supporters, the door appeared.

Grinning gawkily, Neville grabbed the handle and yanked it open. Breathing heavily, the three stepped inside, slamming the door behind them, so it vibrated in it's frame. They didn't want anyone, who they hadn't invited.

Inside the room, there was a long oak table, with impressively carved wooden chairs spaced evenly on each side, and a fresh notepad and pen, lying up the head of the table. Shrugging, Neville sat round in front of the notepad, and flicked back the cover to reveal a glossy white sheet. Luna settled herself beside Neville, apparently at ease.

"Daddy sent my is lastest print," she announced, fumbling in her bag. "Of the Quibbler."

Neville and Ginny exchanged glances. The Quibber was, to say the least, a bit excentric.

"That's nice, Luna," Ginny said, trying to hide her laughter.

"You might laugh, Ginny," Luna said passionately. "But Daddy got a new idea."

"Really?" Ginny said, snorting.

"Yes!" Luna told them. "Here, look."

"Raising an eyebrow, Ginny picked up the newspaper, and almost immediately dropped it again.

"He- Harry- Harry's here!"

"Yes, I know," Luna said, with a long-suffering expression.

"It says- it says, that Harry is the chosen one."

Luna nodded, smiling sweetly, tilting her head so her earings hit her neck.

"Didn't you already know that?"

"Well, yes, but, sheesh, Luna, this is a change."

"What does it say?" Neville asked, interested.

"It says: Harry Potter the chosen one... Anyone who wants to see You-Know-Who finished, should help Harry... Got to stay fighting... Then some rubbish about crumble-horned-."

"Hem, hem," coughed Luna.

"Um, some interesting... stuff... about crumbled-horned snoracks..." Ginny corrected herself, and hurried on. "Anyway, it says that Harry is the good one, and there is no way he'd ever attack Dumbledore, and that Snape did it for sure. Then it finishs saying that not to let our ideas of Harry Potter be tarnished, and help him, should we ever have a chance."

"Wow," said Neville. "That's a new approach all right."

"Yeah," Ginny said, her eyes clouding over. "And theres a picture..."

This time, it was Neville and Luna's turn to grin behind Ginny's back. Ever since Ginny had arrived in Hogwarts, she'd been completely obsessed with Harry. From the dreamy, love-sick puppy look she was giving the picture, Ginny's affection hadn't wavered.

"You really obsessed, aren't you?" Neville grinned.

"Oh yeah, just a bit," Ginny said, hugging the newspaper to her chest.

"Yeah, just a bit," teased Neville.

"I mean, it's not like you've ever written 'I love you, Harry' a hundred times, tried to send it, then lost your nerve, and washed it down the toilet," Luna piped up.

"Yeah, you don't really like him, you've never burst out crying at how much you missed him."

"Or spent two hours writing a musical valentine."

"Or cut off one of Hedwig's feathers and slept with it under your pillow."

Ginny blushed bright red.

Luckily for Ginny, just then Terry Boot and Michael Corner came in.

"Hey, guys," Terry said, taking a seat.

While the others were distracted, Ginny quickly ripped off the front cover of the Quibber, and Harry's picture, rolled it up, and pocketed it.

"So this is the D.A again, right?" Michael said.

"Well, yeah," Neville said.

"Just like old times," Hannah Abbots said, as she came in, Seamus, Ernie and Anthony following just behind her. She had a very strange look on her face.

"I know," Ginny said, squirming, nostalgic emotion rising inside her.

"I'm in," Hannah said dully. "I've got my coin, and I want to fight."

"Sure," Ginny said. "So-."

"I'm not joining if it's like it was a year ago though," Hannah interrupted. "I don't want to learn defense anymore. I want to be an army. Fight."

"Thats what we're doing this time," Neville said sharply, sitting up straight, looking at Hannah. In the back of his mind, he remembered that Hannah's mother had been murdered by death eaters, and felt a rush of understanding for her.

"That's exactly what we're going to do," Neville said. "We're trying to overthrow the Carrows and Snape. And when Harry comes back, well force them out of the school."

"Harry?" Hannah repeated.

"Do you know what Harry's doing, Hannah?" Ginny asked, and without waiting for an answer, went on, rising to her feet "he's fighting out there. With my brother and Hermione Granger. Harry knows how- how to deafeat Voldemort and that's what he's going to do?"

"And- and if he dies trying?" Hannah asked slowly.

"He won't!" Ginny practically shouted, her face very pale. "He won't die. Harry is the chosen one. Last year, Dumbledore told him how to, and Harry is going tokeep fighting till he succeeds. He won't be killed, I know he won't, he can't be. We've got to trust in him, Hannah, everyone! We've go to trust that he's going to kill- kill Voldemort!"

"Don't say the-," Padma Patil said, as she, her twin and Lavender Brown came in.

"Voldemort!" Ginny yelled. "It's a name! Why are you scared? You hate him, why are showing him respect!"

"People have reasons to be scared, Ginny," Hannah said, but her eyes were wide and admiring.

"I know they do," Ginny said, speaking loudly and slowly, as if they were dumb. "But, seriously. We know- I know- I trust that Harry will defeat him, and get rid of Snape. And if you don't believe me, you can just bite me."

Luna laughed, but she was one of the only ones that did. The rest were all looking at me in blank shock.

"How do you know that Harry will live, and rescue us?" demanded Lavander Brown sounding sullen, who was standing by the door, arms crossed, her wavy dark blonde hair falling over her shoulders.

"Because- because I'd trust Harry with my life," Ginny said, and her voice was growin steadier, and her whole body seemed to be blazing. "I would trust him with my life, and he wouldn't let me- us- down! I know he wouldn't, Lavander Brown! And that's what it comes down to! Harry will come and save us, save Hogwarts, or he'll let us die! And Harry- I know Harry- and he wouldn't leave us! It's war, some people will die, and it'll be terrible, but Harry wouldn't leave the whole of Hogwarts to die. I know him, Harry."

There was a second of absolute silence, then Luna jumped to her feet and began to clap. People turned to stare at her, sniggering, whispering, and Luna stood bringing her hands together, each clap ringing through the room. Then, before Ginny astonished eyes, Hannah Abbott began to clap, and at almost the same moment, Neville. A great whisper rose, and suddenly the whole room seemed to have burst out clapping, and screaming and laughing. Lavender Brown hurried across the room, and grabbed Ginny's hand, tears forming in her eyes, and flung her arms round Ginny.

"You were right; you were right!" she said breathlessly. "We've got to trust in Harry!"

Everyone seemed to be chanting and whooping, and Ginny could hear three words repeated again and again. Trust. Harry. Potter.

Looking round, a dizzy and over-whelmed, Ginny turned and grabbed Luna's arm.

"Thanks, Luna," Ginny said, throwing her arm round her best friends' neck. "Thank you."

**A/N: This is my favorite chapter so far- and it's also the longer, so I really deserve a review (come on, please). And thank you to Savita for reviewing and following my story- I definitely plan on continuing this!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It felt great to be rebelling. Mummy would have been proud. Now, when Luna drifted off into the land of dreams, her mother's death did not resurface. Instead, she dreamed of waves slashing onto a sandy shore, of running hand in hand with Neville, of Harry, Ron and Hermione appearing and announcing they were going to fight and kill Voldemort, of laughter, of fighting, arm in arm with Neville and Ginny. Luna knew why her dreams had changed now. Although her mother's death still hurt, Luna felt like she was flying over all that. Now, there was hope, and trust, and love, and Luna was happy. She knew it was bad to be happy, despite the war raging inside and outside the castle, but, like hell, she was.

It wasn't just Luna who felt the hope. Ginny and Neville were smiling a lot more now, whatever the Carrows threw at them. And even Hannah, who'd been living in a cocoon of misery ever since her mother died, had been laughing a bit more, and her laugh had become a bit less hollow.

But, just like two years ago, the D.A did not stay secret.

"It's banned," Michael said dejectedly. "All clubs are now."

"Taking a leaf out Umbridge's book, is she?" Ginny said scornfully.

"Well, we aren't backing down," Hannah said. "We didn't last time, and we're not going to now."

"That's quidditch banned as well," Seamus said.

"Quidditch?" Ginny repeated incredulously. "Have quidditch matches actually been happening?"

"Yeah, but the Carrows were refereeing," Seamus said disgustedly. "When the Gryffindor team found out, they just walked off. And everyone who wasn't Slytherin started hexing the Carrows, then ran for it."

"Good for them," Ginny said. "Gosh... though, I'd forgotten Quidditch was happening at all."

"Well, it wasn't exactly high-priority, with everything which has been happening, was it?" Hannah said.

"Yeah..." Ginny said. "You know, I almost wished I'd seen this match. I've wanted to see the Carrows hexed to bits for ages."

"They weren't to badly off. Madam Pomfrey fixed them in about an hour," Seamus said sadly.

"She fixed them?" Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"If she'd done anything else, the Carrows would probably have killed her," Seamus reminded her.

"Oh," Ginny said. She had been back at Hogwarts for over a month, but it still shocked her everytime anyone mentioned people being killed or tortured. Then searching for a lighter topic, she said: "You know, it's Halloween tomorrow."

"It's it?" Seamus said distractedly. "Well, I don't think the Carrows are planing on celebrating it."

"No... Let's go to Hagrid's," Ginny decided. "Right now, she didn't feel like a miserable conversation."

"Hagrid's?" Seamus asked. "Why would we want to go to Hagrid's?"

Of coarse, Seamus had never been much of a friend of Hagrid's, though he had defended him against the Slytherins. Really, the only way Ginny knew Hagrid was through her crush on Harry. Back in her first year, Ginny would go down to Hagrid's in the hope that Harry might be around, but as she grew older, Ginny found there was another reason to go to Hagrids- it was fun, and Hagrid was a friend. Right now, Ginny thought Hagrid was the perfect person to go to. Wondering where Neville and Luna were, she waved goodbye to Seamus.

"OY, Weasely!" a jeering voice echoed across the lawn.

Turning, Ginny glared into the forest, automatically drawing her wand.

"What?" she said irritably.

It was Pansy Parkingson, Sienna Jennings, and Millicent Burstrode, and they were laughing, arms linked.

"WHAT?" repeated Ginny, growing agitated, and glancing round.

"Ah, are you visiting the giant?" jeered Jennings.

Ginny slashed her wand through the air, eyes darkening, but she never finished the hex. Behind, her a huge, invisible thing grabbed her hands, and slammed her forward into the grass.

"What the heck? What is-?"

Ginny struggled to her feet, reaching for her wand, but Parkingson darted forward and snatched it from her fingers.

"What are you doing?" Ginny said furiously. "Give that back!"

"Nah, I think I'll keep this as a souvenir," Parkingson laughed, pretending to inspect the wand.

Before Ginny could lunge for the wand, the invisible thing grabbed her and lifted her straight off her feet. Now she had come to her senses a bit, Ginny was slightly glad to realise it was only a person, an invisible person. She could feel that they were at least three. However, once Ginny had come to her senses, she also realised what was happening, and a terrible panic overcame her.

"HAGRID!" she shrieched. "HAGRID, HELP! HAGRID, I'm BEING-."

"Oh no you don't," grunted an invisible person, and she felt a cloth being shoved into her mouth. Kicking and spitting, Ginny felt her flailing fist connect with skin, and a yelp of pain. Then, she was being punched, and blood was blinding her vision, and she was being carried through darkness, into the forest.

The figures flickered for a few seconds, and the shapes of Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott came into view. "Oh god," Ginny tried to say, but the cloth only let a strange, garling noise come out.

Burstode produced a rope, and for a few seconds, Crabbe released his grip, and Ginny took her chance. With almighty strength, she threw herself backwards, rolled over, and burst to her feet, knocking over Jennings in one fluid motion. Snatching up Jennnings' wand, Ginny stunned her, and screamed. Darting, bent double, in the opposite direction, randomly firing hexes over her shoulder, Ginny managed to run about ten steps, before she was hit over the head with a body-bind.

This was it then. Unable to move or walk, Ginny lay, waiting for the final curse, screwing her eyes shut. Goyle raised his wand, and magically lifted a few metres from the ground. Her face scraped viciously against a jutting tree-branch, and from far below, she heard laughter. Unable to bear to not know how they were planning to do it, Ginny opened her eyes. If she hadn't been bound, she wouldn't have been able to stop herself yelping. The Slytherin gang were mere pinpricks in the distance. She was hovering fifty feet in the air, only supported by the Slytherin's spells.

Ginny didn't want it to be like this anymore. Forcing her eyes shut, with Harry's smile dancing through her mind, she fell.

She was gathering speed, terrified for the moment of impact, so scared her eyes shot open, and a stab of painful hope hit her.

Professor McGonagall was charging across the lawn, closely followed by Hagrid. There was a small crowd surrounding them, gaping and screaming, some with their eyes shut, some yelling for help, wands raised. A midst them, the Carrows were watching- and laughing.

And she was slowing down.

Professor McGonagall knocked a terrified first year down, yelling an incantation, before Ginny hit the ground and everything went black.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"The joke's gone out of the window," Neville was saying. "It really, really, has."

"They tried to kill her," said Professor McGonagall clipped tones. "Tried to kill her."

"I- this is scary now," a voice said, which Ginny didn't recognise.

"It always was," Luna said, sounding slightly less dreamy than normal. "But now it's terrifying."

Ginny giggled slightly. Typically Luna.

"SHE'S AWAKE!" someone bellowed, and Ginny found herself being practically thrown in the air so

many people seemed to be trying to hug her.

"What- what happened?" Ginny asked, once she'd escaped.

"They- well- they tried to kill you. A bunch of Slytherins," a forth year Ravenclaw boy Ginny

knew vaguely by sight said. "And it was awful," he pressed on. "Then the Carrows, after

McGonagall rescued you-."

"Thanks, Professor," Ginny said, as the memory trickled back. "Oh yeah, I remember."

"We can't let them get away with this," Neville said. "We can't!"

"Yeah, lets go and kill them," a girl Ginny thought was called Natalie McDonald said

sarcastically. "God, though, I can't believe the Carrows-."

"They are death eaters, Natalie," Hannah said, looking very pale. "Death Eater aren't known for

being cute and fluffy, are they?"

"Personally, I think this is disgraceful," Ernie said. "Really, when it comes to cold-blooded

murder-."

"Spare us the lecture, Ernie, we agree anyway," Seamus said.

"Was I the first?" Ginny said, after a second of silence. "The first one they tried to- you

know."

"We think so," Luna said softly. "It's either because of the D.A, or you were just in the wrong

place at the wrong time."

"I think... the former, don't you?" muttered Ginny.

"They're trying to kill off the D.A?" the forth year Ravenclaw said. Then: "Can I join?"

"What?" said Neville, rounding on him. "You just saw- and you ask- I mean- no, your way too

young!"

"We're not!" Natalie argued. "Dennis was in it last time and he's in our year."

"Well- it's just got a lot more dangerous this time round, if you haven't noticed!" Neville

argued.

"Yeah, we have," Natalie said. "But I- me and Stewart- we're not stupid! We want to fight, and

we're willing to-."

"Don't say your willing to die," Hannah interrupted sharply. "Because your not- and I'm not

talking how old you are-," she rushed on, seeing their expression. "But you don't value death and

war yet, do you?"

"What, um, what do you mean?" Stewart asked.

"Has anyone you know, and loved died, yet?" Hannah asked, almost pleasantly.

"Uh, well my... uncle... was killed-."

"How well did you know him, Steward?"

The look on the boys face was a confession.

"Well, you don't know yet," Hannah pressed. "How much your life is worth to family- and friends.

I can tell, you're too sweet and innocent to really-."

"SHUT UP!"

Hannah blinked; Natalie had risen to her feet.

"Stop patronizing us, Hannah!" she shouted. "This has nothing to do with whether we're sweet and

innocent- you just want to imagine you're the only one who's been through the pain of having

your- fucking- mother- die! Stop being so bloody selfish, Hannah, because, NO, no one I've loved

has died, but do you know what?"

"SAY THAT AGAIN!" Hannah yelled, rising to her feet, pointing her wand at Natalie's chest. "Say

that again, Natalie McDonald!"

"McDonald! Abbott! Stop this disgraceful display- we have a patient here!" McGonagall interrupted.

"SHE SAID MY MOTHER-."

"Hannah, calm down!" Neville said, grabbing her arm. "She's only a kid- and she doesn't

understand!"

"And why do you?" Hannah asked quietly.

"Because- Because- my parents were tortured, you know?" Neville whispered. "Into- whatever."

There was a long silence, in which every eye turned to him.

"Oh... well," Hannah said, her eyes growing wider. "That- it's- it's terrible, isn't it,

Neville."

"I'm sorry, Neville," Luna chimed in. "It's so unfair so had to suffer that."

"Oh well, yeah," Neville said, looking at Hannah with renewed interest.

"Sorry, Neville, but bye!" Natalie said sniffily, grabbing Steward's hand, and storming out.

"Right," Neville said, the moment Ginny entered the room, flanked by Seamus and Natalie and

Steward. "From now on, nobody is going anywhere alone... what are you doing here, Natalie,

Steward?"

"Hannah," Natalie said, ignoring Neville. "I want to say I'm truly sorry about your mother. I

didn't mean what I said at all, and I don't think you're selfish; I was just really angry about

not being able to join."

"Wow," Hannah said blankly. "OK, right, yeah."

"We can?" Steward asked, eyes widening, and grinned. "Really!"

Neville paused, looking at the two forth-years with renewed interest, and glanced round quickly

at Ginny and Luna.

"Why not?" Luna asked.

Ginny nodded slowly.

"OK, then," Neville said finally. "I suppose so."

**A/N: I love Natalie and Stewart! They're referenced in GoF in the sorting scene, and I wanted real names, so I used them!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**A/N: Sorry, I know I haven't updated this for ages... well, a few weeks, but I had school! And madness, and my other fanfic. This story is a lot less popular than watching, but I like it, so whatever. This is a bit of a filler but I wanted to write something, since I haven't for a while. But if you review, I'll put this on higher priority for a bit, so review...** **Now, here goes:**

"Neville?"  
"Luna?"

"Neville... I'm scared."  
Neville looked up at Luna in surprised, and she bowed her head, her dirty blonde hair curtaining her face.

"Scared?" he repeated dumbly. "What do you mean?"  
Luna let her fridge fall over her grey eyes, as she looked up. "This isn't Hogwarts," she said.

"Yes, it is," Neville said quickly.

"Yeah, it's Hogwarts, Neville," Luna repeated. "But not as we know it..."

"Ginny was right though," Neville said, rather forcefully. "I know Harry! I slept in the slight dorm as him for six years! He's come back."

"Of coarse he will," Luna said.

"Well, then."  
Luna sighed. "I know... well, I've got a lesson."  
"A lesson?"

"Oh.. yes."  
"Goodness," Neville said grinning. "I've hardly gone to a lesson this year. Other things, you know."

"We've only been here a couple of weeks," Luna said, and reached out to take Neville's hand, eyes boring into his. Suddenly awkward, Neville snatched his hand away, face the colour of beetroot.

"Feels like a century though, doesn't it?" Seamus, flopping down by Neville. "I haven't been to a defence class yet, or a muggle studies, but they are going to be horrible."

Luna glared at Seamus resentfully and got to her feet.

"Well, I have potions now," she said, her voice rather less dreamy than normal. "So does Ginny. Where is she?"

"Scared to walk across the grounds alone now," Pansy Parkingson sneered, strutting up to them. "Worried about the weasel girl?"

"Don't you dare call her that!" Seamus and Neville snapped, jumping to their feet. Luna, however, raised one hand, and muttered something. Pansy, who hadn't noticed Luna crouching at her feet, gave a strange gasp of pain, and began to dance on the stop, thrashing the air, violently.

"Nice one!" Seamus said, impressed. "What did you do?"  
"I've attracted the Nargles to her," Luna said. "Nargles are normally peaceful creatures invisible to the human eye, who do not attack. However they can easily be manipulated if know they're ways and language."

They laughed, rather shakily, as Parkingson dropped to the floor, kicking wildly.

"I think I better call them off, don't you think?" Luna said sweetly, and drew one hand across her chest, and let out a strange moaning noise.

"Are the nargles attacking you now?" Seamus said.

"No, Seamus, they are not," Luna said. "See, they are retreating."

Pansy was getting to her feet, looking furious. "You! Crui-cruic-" she began to stutter, but Neville quickly slashed her wand through the air and disarmed her.

Seamus arched an eyebrow at him, surprised. "We'll keep that now," Luna said, reaching out and plucking the wand from Neville's hand and pocketing it. Pansy looked bitter.

"I'll report you," she growled. "And maybe I'll finish off the weasel too, if you don't give it back."

"Try," Neville said harshly. "Ginny can fight- and she's in the Hospital Wing, you'll have trouble getting past Pomfrey."

"Just you wait!" Pansy growled, and stomped off.

"We could throw you out of the window, you know!" Luna called after her. "Only we're not."

"If you did, Snape would make sure you died," Pansy replied, turning round.

Luna laugh was like a bell.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclamier: Nope, not JKRowling, sorry.**

"Foul," Luna said, her voice dull, though her eyes were flashing. "She's foul, Ginny, foul."

"She's a Carrow," Ginny replied, reaching out and taking a sip of some acid green medicine, and gagging. Luna watched with mild interest as Ginny gulped down some water, and flopped back on her bed. "She isn't going to be sweets and roses," she finished, wiping her mouth.

"I know," Luna shrugged. "It's Halloween."

Ginny laughed. "Very random. So... what's it like?"

"You can't tell," Luna said, rather sadly.

"Oh," said Ginny, disappointed beside herself. Yeah, death eaters were sure to celebrate Halloween, weren't they? Pumpkins, really? "Great." Somehow there being no Halloween decorations, seem to spark something inside Ginny. "Though Carrows are just pathetic!" she said loudly, flushed with anger. "Pathetic!"

"That'll be detention, Weasely," Snape sneered, from behind them.

"Snape!" Ginny cried, swinging on him. "You pathetic, you evil, you-."

"Silencio," Snape said, bored, and Ginny's tirade stopped like a radio which has been snapped off, but she gave a mute yell, and plunged her hand into her robes.

"Professor Snape!" Madame Pomfrey said, appearing behind him. "I must demand-."

"I have no business with Weasely," Snape drawled. "It was Lovegood I came to see."

"Yes?" Luna trilled, but her eyes were narrowed into slits, and she looking up at Snape with a look of immense distaste.

"You see, Lovegood," Snape said slowly. "Miss Parkingson came to me with a complaint... she seemed to think that you ganged up upon her, and stolen her wand."

Luna looked straight into Snape's eyes, refusing to break their gaze. It was an act of defiance somehow, it showed she wasn't scared.

"Do you deny this?" Snape said suddenly vicious.

"Finite," Lune said, turning towards Ginny, who gave a gasp of relief.

"I said, do you deny it?" Snape growled.

"Well, sir," Luna said sweetly.

"I want no excuses!" Snape bellowed.

"No, sir," Luna said, still as sweet as ever. "I merely wondered which... crime... is deemed more severe: attempted murder or theft?" There was a note of triumph in her tone.

"That girl tried to kill me!" Ginny yelled. "Get that, Snape, get that? KILL ME!"

Snape didn't blink. "Miss Parkinson is Slytherin."

"So?" Ginny bellowed. "So she's allowed to murder, is she? Oh yes, I forgot, that's your job, right? Murdering students! DEATH EATER FIFTH! That's all you inspire to me right, death eater!"

"Detention, Weasely," Snape said, though his breathing was ragged.

"Stupify!" Luna said, her voice ringing out like a bell. With a careless slash of his wand, Snape made the spell rebound, knocking Luna off her feet.

"Harry Potter is a thousand times the man you'll ever be, you know that," Ginny said fiercely. "He'll always win, he'll win!"

Another flash of light later Ginny crumpled on the floor. Snape stood surveying them, a odd, haunted look on his face as he looked at Ginny, then he swept from the room, Ginny and Luna hovering in the air after him.


	11. Chapter 11

"Herbology," Neville said dully.

"You like herbology, don't you?" Hannah said, watching the rain drizzle down the window.

"Yeah... come on, let's go," Neville said.

"It'll be alright," Seamus said, running up behind them. "I mean, the Carrows don't teach Herbology or anything."

"What- no?" Neville said, turning round to look at Seamus. He couldn't help find it rather weird when someone who'd dismissed him as dumb the year earlier hurried up to him to start chatting. Seamus had never actually said cutting anything to him, apart from laughing a bit, but now he was acting like Neville's best friend. He supposed that with the school falling apart, with the Carrows, with Snape, he ought to be glad for every offer of friendship. _He was_. Only he knew Seamus only hung around him and Ginny and Luna as a substitute for Dean. He didn't want to be second best anymore. After being second best for years, he thought that now he'd actually become his own person.

Besides, he had been talking to Hannah. It wasn't Seamus' business.

"And you're good at Herbology," Seamus said.

"Well, it's the only thing I'm not useless at," Neville muttered.

"Hey," Hannah said lightly. "You're not useless... look how you're running the D.A. Not useless at all."

"Thanks," Neville said, with a watery smile.

"I know... you're the _leader_ of the D.A," Seamus said, and Neville glanced sharply at him. It had sounded like Seamus had been sneering slightly.

"What do you mean?" Neville said defensively.

"I just said that you were the _leader_ of the D.A," Seamus replied, with a shrug. There was no mistaking his tone this time. He was bitter.

"No, I'm not," Neville said. "Harry is."

Seamus raised an eyebrow, scowling.

"What's the matter, are you jealous?" Hannah said.

"What, no!" Seamus said.

"Yeah, you are," Hannah said. "You're jealous because Neville got the determination to run the D.A. while Harry's away. You're jealous because you think you could do just as well, but you what, Seamus? You wouldn't stand a chance- you're too jealous, too greedy."

"Hannah!" Neville hissed, appalled.

Seamus stood staring at them for a few seconds then turned and walked silently off in the other direction.

"What was that for, Hannah?" Neville said. "I mean, Seamus was a big part of the D.A. We need him!"

"He'll come crawling back," Hannah said, coolly. "_He_ needs the D.A. We all do."

"Great, Hannah, that's just great," Neville said. "We can't afford to argue, Hannah!"

Hannah looked for a moment, slightly abashed.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's just- oh, Neville, did I really do that?"

"Yes," Neville said blankly, and Hannah laughed.

"I'm being such a bitch lately, aren't I?" she smiled. "Not really the sweet little Hufflepuff anymore, am I?"

"Well, maybe we can't afford sweet little Hufflepuffs," Neville said, with a smile. "But Hannah, you can't just go around saying things like that. I mean, we're not first years anymore, are we?"

"I know, we've both changed from comic icons since then," Hannah said. "The accident-prone loser to the strong, determined leader... the round-faced, pig-tailed tailed freak who followed people like Ernie blindly to the furious bitchy fighter."

"So you were a freak and I was a loser," Neville said, with a slight laugh. "Thanks."

"Weren't we?" Hannah replied. "Do you remember first year?"

"I fell off my broomstick in front of half our year," Neville said. "I went on a wild goose chase to warn Harry about a dragon, but he was just winding Malfoy up... I think, it doesn't seem like Harry but, well... Hermione body bound me when I tried to stop them going out, and I got ten points to Gryffindor..."

"I remember that!" Hannah interrupted. "It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies-."

"But just as much to stand up to our friends," Neville finished, smiling. "I won the House Cup," he added, with a slightly dazed look on his face. "Me! ... That was one of the best moment of my life..."

"Go it, Neville," Hannah said softly. "You know, maybe you weren't such a loser even in first year. Maybe I was the only loser."

"We were so innocent then though," Neville said, sighing. "Do you wish... that you could just go back?"

"To before the war, before Hogwarts was like this, before Mum was killed," Hannah said. "Sometimes I want the past so much it hurts... but right now, I think this D.A. was one of the strongest forces of my life. The D.A., Mum dying, it gave me something... I think I became a lot bitchier, but I also became stronger.

I'm ready to fight now, for Harry, for Mum, for a better world. I wasn't before, so maybe this war is worth it, because it brung out the best in you, and in me as well."

"Wow," Neville said, looking at Hannah. "That was... deep."

She grinned at him, and suddenly they both burst out laughing, like they couldn't ever stop.


	12. Chapter 12

Not clever. Not clever, at all. Ginny had only just got out of the Hospital Wing, and she was already running off alone. Well, not running, flying.

She kicked off from the window, hard, and shot towards the stars... or the grizzling grey clouds, you choose. She lightly shut her eyes, and soared through the rain, and the wind rushing in her hair. Just to add to the picture of craziness, she flung her arms wide, and continued zooming, eyes shut, randomly forwards, only held on by her legs.

"Ginny! GINNY!"

Eyes now tightly closed, she spun on the spot, feeling the broom turn beneath her, before she slammed hard into a tree, and her eyes flicked open. That was stupid. Now her forehead was throbbing painfully, but apart from that, she felt brilliant. Wild, free.

"GINNY! _GINNY!_"

She went into a dive, this time eyes open, aiming for the tower opposite the one she'd kicked off from. It was growing from a pinprick to a real tower and-

"GINNNNNY... Ginny...?"

"What?" she yelled, accelerating, terror and excitement overcoming her. There was a figure in the tower, and she could hear scream... what had happened?... She was dimly aware that this could be another trap, that the Slytherins could be faking the screams, hoping to lure her down so they could really kill her, but something inside her told her that nobody could scream like that, if it wasn't deadly real for them.

A face appeared in the window, and Ginny saw a flash of red- it was a red tie, a Gryffindor, gaping out at her, pale and terrified. A boy's face, from the short mousy brown hair. He was very small, about a forth year...

"Stewart?" she muttered, drawing her wand instinctively. She was rushing closer, so fast the wind was blocking out any sound. The face grew larger, and more and more petrified.

"Quicker!" he moaned. "Quicker!"

Ginny threw her weight forward, urging the room on, and she slammed into the stone, and mentally realising this was the second time in five minutes that she'd hurtled into something, she almost laughed. Her broom fell between her fingers, and plummeted to the ground... _no escape..._ but Ginny ignored it, swung her leg over the sill, to see what was causing the screams.

Caused the screams.

As she turned to face the sight, her heart stopped. A small figure, with black hair all over her face, a huge gash down her arm, which was flung at her side. Slowly, painfully, her eyes slid up to the boy, crouching, at her side, a heart-breaking sob escaping his lips. Then it fell on the Slytherin girl and boy standing, glancing at each other, wands pointing at the boy, and she did something she never thought she would.

"Avada Kedavra," she said, her voice shaking slightly, aiming her wands at the boy. He didn't move on time, and he fell limply to the floor, with a thud, unmistakable dead.

"You killed him," the girl said. "Ava-."

"Expelliarmus," Ginny said quickly, and her wand shot into her hand, and finally she looked back at Stewart and Natalie. Stewart hadn't looked up. He was silent now, completely silent, his mouth hanging slightly open, breathing heavily.

"Stewart," Ginny asked desperately, unable to examine Natalie herself. "Is she- is she- breathing?"

"No, she isn't!" the Slytherin shouted, regaining her voice. "You murderer, Weasely!"

Ginny didn't reply. She glanced guiltily at the other corpse, the boy she'd killed then looked at Stewart, who with fumbling hands, slid his hand under her top and to her chest. He didn't move for several seconds, and finally he glanced into Ginny's eyes, and slowly, dejectedly shook his head.


End file.
